Food Truck Permits in Wisconsin
Last verified against official sources on by Amrit. How we verify
Yes. In Wisconsin a food truck needs two health licenses: one for the truck (a mobile food establishment license) and one for the service base it returns to. You get them from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), or from your local health department if it licenses on the state's behalf. The truck's plans are reviewed before it is licensed, it must have a certified food protection manager, and you need a seller's permit for sales tax. Your license works across the state, but cities can add their own vending licenses.[2][1][8]
At a glance
| Permit needed | Yes. Two licenses: a mobile food establishment license for the truck and a service base license.[2] |
|---|---|
| Who issues it | DATCP, or the local health department where it acts as DATCP's agent. Call DATCP's licensing specialists if you're not sure which applies to you.[1][6] |
| Works statewide | Yes. A license from one county lets you sell in another without a second license, but the local health department there can still inspect you and charge an inspection fee.[1] |
| State license fee | With DATCP, a truck serving meals pays $105 to $540 a year, depending on how complex the menu is. A new truck (one not licensed the year before) also pays a pre-inspection fee of $130 to $770. Local agent health departments set their own fees.[1][4][3][10] |
| License year | Licenses expire every June 30. A new DATCP license issued after April 1 runs to June 30 of the following year.[3][4] |
| Service base | Required. The truck must go back to it at least every 24 hours.[2] |
| Training | A certified food protection manager, in place within 90 days of opening. The exam is renewed every 5 years.[2][5] |
| Ventilation and fire | Cooking ventilation on the truck is regulated by the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) under SPS 314.50.[2] |
| Sales tax | A seller's permit from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. The registration fee is $20 and covers two years; renewal is $10.[8][9] |
Step by step
Do these in order. Each step links to the official form or page.
Find out who licenses you
Some cities and counties license food trucks themselves as DATCP's "agent"; everywhere else, DATCP does. Which one you apply to depends on where you are. DATCP's licensing specialists will tell you, or point you to the right local health department.[7][1][6]
Send your plans before you build or buy
The health department reviews your plans before it licenses the truck. Send drawings of the truck, your menu, your equipment list, your water and waste water tank sizes, and details of your service base. Equipment must be ANSI/NSF certified and fixed in place. You need a hands-free hand sink with hot water, and a three-compartment sink unless you sell only packaged food or wash everything at your base. The water tank must be at least 40 gallons if you prepare food or wash utensils on board, and the waste water tank at least 15% bigger.[2]
Check your cooking ventilation with DSPS
Hoods and ventilation over cooking equipment on a truck are regulated by the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) under SPS 314.50, not by the health department. Contact DSPS before you build.[2]
License a service base
Your truck needs a licensed base where it fills water, empties waste water and gets cleaned. If you prepare food or wash dishes there, the base must meet the Wisconsin Food Code. The truck must return to the base at least every 24 hours. If your base is in a different area from where your truck is licensed, you must license the base there first. DATCP's yearly fee for a base runs from $45 (no food prep) to $540 (complex). A new base in any category except no food prep also pays a pre-inspection fee of $130 to $770.[2][1][3]
Get a certified food protection manager
Your truck must have a certified food protection manager: a person who has passed an approved food safety exam. A new business has 90 days after opening to get one. Post the certificate where the public and inspectors can see it, and retake the exam every 5 years (small operators can take a shorter refresher course instead).[2][5]
Apply, pay and pass the pre-inspection
Apply for the mobile license and pay the fee. A truck and base that were not licensed the year before must be inspected before you open. With DATCP, a truck serving meals pays a yearly license fee from $105 (prepackaged food only) to $540 (complex menu), plus a pre-inspection fee from $130 to $770 because the truck is new.[1][3][4]
Get a seller's permit
Register with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue for a seller's permit, online or on paper. Apply at least three weeks before you open. The $20 business tax registration fee covers two years, after which renewal is $10 every two years. If your business already has an active Department of Revenue registration covered by that fee, adding a seller's permit doesn't cost another $20. Because a truck has no fixed location, carry or display the permit wherever you sell.[8][9]
Get city permits where you sell
Your health license works across Wisconsin, but local health departments can still inspect you and charge an inspection fee, and cities can make stricter rules and require their own vending licenses. Check with each city before you park.[1][7]
Renew every year by June 30
Licenses expire every June 30. Renew on time, because DATCP charges an $85 late fee.[3][4]
Local rules
These places add their own requirements on top of the state rules.
- Madison and Dane County: Public Health Madison & Dane County licenses trucks that operate only in Dane County. A truck with a DATCP state mobile license doesn't need a second license there, but must carry it and may pay a $25 inspection fee. Public Health's own new mobile license (fees effective May 4, 2026) is priced by yearly sales and menu complexity. For a truck with up to $10,000 a year in sales it is $843.96 if it mostly serves prepackaged meals, or $835.56 if it mostly sells prepackaged non-meal foods (local fee, state fee and pre-inspection/plan review fee together), and it rises from there. Unless you already have a licensed base kitchen, you also pay a base license fee. If you already run a licensed food business, such as a restaurant, it can serve as your base without a separate base license. Don't build or buy a truck until Public Health approves it, and don't store, prepare or wash food or utensils in a home kitchen. To sell on public property in Madison you also need a street vending license ($250 a year, or $600 for an umbrella license covering three or more food vendors), $1,000,000 of liability insurance naming the City as additional insured, and a seller's permit. First-time applicants must meet street vending staff before applying.[10][11][12][13][14]
What it costs
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| License a service base | $45 to $1,310 (DATCP fees for a new mobile base: $45 a year with no food prep, up to $540 a year plus a $770 pre-inspection fee for a complex base. Agent health departments set their own fees.) |
| Apply, pay and pass the pre-inspection | $235 to $1,310 (DATCP license fee ($105 to $540) plus pre-inspection fee ($130 to $770) for a new truck serving meals, by complexity. Agent health departments set their own fees.) |
| Get a seller's permit | $20 (Business tax registration fee, covers 2 years; not charged again if you already have an active registration) |
| Get city permits where you sell | Set by each city or local health department |
| Total if every fee applies to you | $300 to $2,640 |
Not included in the total because the fee is set locally: Get city permits where you sell.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a separate health license for every county I sell in?
No. A Wisconsin mobile license lets you sell in other counties without another license. Each local health department can still inspect you and charge an inspection fee while you're there.[1]
Do I need a commissary in Wisconsin?
Yes. Wisconsin calls it a service base, and it needs its own license. It supplies water, takes waste water and has cleaning facilities, and your truck must go back to it at least every 24 hours.[2]
Can my restaurant kitchen be my truck's base?
If Public Health Madison & Dane County licenses your truck, yes: a food business you already hold a license for, such as your restaurant, can serve as your base without a separate base license. Elsewhere, DATCP's plan-review sheet says a truck holds two licenses, so ask your licensing office whether your restaurant license covers the base.[11][2]
How much does a Wisconsin food truck license cost?
With DATCP, a truck serving meals pays $105 to $540 a year, depending on the menu, plus a pre-inspection fee of $130 to $770 when it is new. The service base has its own license fee, and a new base is inspected too. Local agent health departments set their own fees, so they can differ.[3][10][1]
I already have a license for a stand at fairs. Does that cover my truck?
No. A transient (special event) license does not replace a mobile license.[1]
Can I prep food at home and sell it from my truck?
Not in Madison and Dane County, where food may not be stored, prepared or washed in a home kitchen. Statewide, DATCP's rules require a licensed service base that meets the Wisconsin Food Code if you prepare food or wash dishes there.[12][2]
Can I run a food cart instead of a truck?
Yes, but a pushcart that serves foods needing temperature control is limited to preformed meats, such as hot dogs. Carts selling foods that don't need temperature control have no such limit.[2]
Do I need a toilet on the truck?
No, but you must arrange for your staff to use a toilet during all the hours you're open.[2]
Sources
- Mobile and Transient Retail Food Establishments, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Requirements for Mobile Food Establishments (dfs-3062-0909, 09/2022), Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Checked October 25, 2026.
- License Fee Schedule: Retail Serving Meals, Retail Not Serving Meals, and W&M (F-fd-101, Rev. 02/2022), Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Retail Food Establishments Serving Meals and Catering, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Food Manager Certification Requirements, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Licensing Information for Vendors at Community Events (P-DFRS0218, 11/24), Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Food, Meat and Retail Frequently Asked Questions, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Sales and Use Tax Permits, Wisconsin Department of Revenue. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Business Tax Registration, Wisconsin Department of Revenue. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Food Establishments, Public Health Madison & Dane County. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Mobile Retail Food and Base License Application (fees effective May 4, 2026), Public Health Madison & Dane County. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Mobile Food Vending, City of Madison, Economic Development. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Street Vending Fees and Ordinances, City of Madison, Economic Development. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Street Vending Insurance Requirements, City of Madison, Economic Development. Checked October 25, 2026.
Related
- Cottage Food Laws in Wisconsin
- Food Truck Permits in Illinois
- Food Truck Permits in Iowa
- Food Truck Permits in Michigan
- Food Truck Permits in Minnesota
- Food Truck Permits by State
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change. Before you apply or start selling, confirm the details with Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), or your local agent health department or your local health department. Spotted something wrong or out of date?Report it and we will check it.